Ciao

If there is one word to unite all of Europe, it’s Ciao. It is used in (almost) every language, even though it’s traditionally Italian. Ciao means hello or goodbye, which makes me think. What is the difference between hello and goodbye anyways? (I’m trying to be philosophical but I don’t think it’s working. I’m going to try anyways.) So often we say hello to someone, only to say goodbye later. But do the people we meet ever really leave us? They say that when we dream, we see people that we’ve seen before because the brain is not God cannot create a new face. So, yeah. I think it’s safe to say that when we say hello, we never really say goodbye. You might see them again in your dreams. Ooh la la. I said hello to Italy. While I may have said goodbye to Italy, it’s never left me. It was just “ciao”. My hello to Italy started in Venice. People always talk about how romantic Venice is. Venice was hot and humid. The only thing romantic about it (for me anyways) was my love for the gelato. Venice is a great city to travel to if you’re on a solo trip because you literally cannot get lost. You can only get so far until you hit the water and have to turn back. Plus, it’s so touristy that if you are a monoglot, and only speak English, you’ll be okay. Venice is also famous for their masquerades as well as their canals. So, if you go to Venice, after your gondola ride, try on a masquerade mask.
Italian city number two: Rome. “When in Rome, do as the romans do.” Rome was one of my favorite cities to visit. Something you should know: I am a huge history buff, especially when it comes to European history. So, I could easily spend days in the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. It’s strange to think that I’ve stood where so many have died. It took 60,000 slaves to build the colosseum. All 60,000 of them died in the process. The strongest of the slaves became the Gladiators and would fight to the death in the arena. The thought of that is so disturbing, but that was the rituals of the pagan religions. Actually, because Italy is primarily catholic, there is a cross erected in the front of the arena in an attempt to wipe away their sins the unpleasantness of their ancient ways. We were all born sinners, but it is through Jesus’s sacrifice that we are forgiven. There is nothing we can do, it is only by Jesus’s love that we are saved and our sins are wiped away. There is a deep sense of religious tradition throughout Rome. A tradition that leaves traces everywhere. Tradition states that you are supposed to take three coins in your right hand and with your back to the Trevi Fountain, you are supposed to throw the coins over your left shoulder. The three coins represent a wish: to one day return to Rome, for luck, and for love. Plus, I made a secret wish that I won’t tell you! I don’t know about you, but I always like to say, “Amen” after I make a wish. That’s because every good thing comes from God. So, if my wish is going anywhere, I like to think my wish is going to God as a little prayer. I mean, even the Pantheon has a huge whole in the ceiling so that when they wished prayed they could immediately receive whatever God would send down to them from the heavens. Another tradition is the Bocca della Verità (mouth of truth). Legend has it, if you put your hand in the mouth it will bite you, only if you are dishonest. Well, we’re all sinners and we all lie so that means that anyone who has participated in this legend should be handless. Yet, somehow, we all still have our hands. Hmmm… Perhaps the greatest sense of Christianity in Rome is Vatican City. The city state independent of Italy that will be discussed in another post. 

            The next city after my “roman holiday” was Florence. Ah, Firenze. A city of art, good food, the Medici, and the world’s most brutal game of soccer, Calcio Storico. Talk about gladiators. I, an art connoisseur, feel so blessed to have seen so many wonderful pieces of art in Florence and to have placed a coin in the mouth (for luck) and rubbed the nose (to return) of the famous Il Porcellino (a bronze boar statue). I purchased my favorite souvenir in Florence- a puzzle ring. It is a gold 4 piece ring that magically folds into a beautiful braided ring. The legend states that soldiers would give this ring to their wives before they left for war.  The soldier knew if his wife was unfaithful while he was away if the ring was off. The idea is that the woman wouldn’t know how to put the ring back together if she took it off to ‘ahem’ play hanky-panky. It’s just a really cool thing to have and a great conversation starter. If jewelry isn’t your thing, maybe leather is (Lord knows it’s not my thing). Florentine leather is some of the finest in the world. If neither is your thing. The food is, or will be. I promise. Florence falls in the Tuscany region of Italy. AKA the best place to get pasta in the world Italy. Yum! Italy is a great place to go. I highly recommend it to everyone. I would say that I said goodbye to Italy after Florence, but I only said “ciao”. 

You can’t see me, but my clothes are matching the gondoliers’.

P.S. The coins from the Trevi Fountain are taken by the Italian government at night. It’s kind of like an Italian tourist tax.

              

Peep the cross. 

P.P.S. Florence is also the home of Pinocchio.